Reference no: EM132308042

Instructions:

Read Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," pp. 261-74 in They Say/I Say in The Little Eagle.

Content:

Write a critical analysis of Alexander's essay and address the following points in your analysis:

• Identify Alexander's thesis and the context of her argument.

• State the thesis of your essay. Your thesis is your view of Alexander's position, which provides sufficient information in one to two sentences that lets the reader know what your essay discusses.

• Indicate whether Alexander's essay is informative or persuasive.

• What are the strengths of her essay and what are the weaknesses?

• Determine the types of rhetorical devices used in the essay, any logical fallacies, and the effectiveness of these choices. For a review of rhetorical devices.

• Evaluate the significance of Alexander's claim that, "the so-called underclass is better understood as an undercaste-a lower caste of individuals who are permanently barred by law and custom from mainstream society" (270).

• Formulate a conclusion about the relevance and validity of Alexander's position in society today.

• Give specific examples and evidence to support your statements from additional research with source attribution and citations.

Format and Structure:

• Use the MLA Handbook 8th edition to format and structure your essay. Information on MLA is available on the Purdue Owl and in The Little Eagle.

• Your essay must be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman 12 font.

• Refrain from the use of the first-person singular pronouns ("I" and "me") and the firstperson plural pronouns ("we," "us," and "our") in your essay.

• Proofread your work, check your grammar and diction, and organize your essay in a logical and coherent manner. See the "Edit" section in The Little Eagle to assist you in revising and editing your work.

• Include a Works Cited page attached as the penultimate page.

• Complete the last column in your Critical Analysis Feedback Form and include it as the last page of your essay.

Please save your work as you type on your computer's hard-drive or laptop and also on Cloud or Google Docs or a USB key, so that you have a back-up of your work.